Erika's life

Hi, guys! It's really getting hotter in Japan.... I'm afraid this summer cause maybe it's much hotter than now!

Well, I want to write about beliefs for men and women in Japan
In the world, women are getting to be treated equally as men but how is it in Japna? When we see the companies or homes, still women are not treated equally. If they get pregnant or marry, they often quit their job. Companies don't think they should take maternity leave. And, also even if women work and become a housewife, they have to do everything in their house. You know, they have to rise their children, make meals, clean their house and a lot, a lot... In 1972, 男女雇用機会均等法( Law Concerning the Promotion of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women) was enforced but there is still prejudges for women.
Now, goverments make a fuss about Japanese birth rate, however women try to get high career. They try to change the prejudges for women. Because of women's high career, the women's marriageable age is getting higher. In the past, they think 適齢期(the proper age for marriage) is about 23-26 but now is about 30. I think women try to change something!! It's really good, isn't it?
But there is a problem, low-birth rate. How should we solve this problem? I think men should help housework and companies should allow child-care leave for men and women. I read the article about men's child-care leave. Although there is a law to allow the child-care leave for men, they can't apply it because if they apply it, companies may fire him! It's really dangerous for men.
And today, we discussed business bachelors in our class. In Japan, if men are said to move somewhere, generally they move alone without their family. On the other hand, in western countries, they can move with their family and companies aid their family. I've never considered the Japanese system is weird.
I think there are still problems for men and women but I hope we can be equally!
How about in your country? They are equal or not? If not so, how should we do? Please tell me somthing :-)

Oh, my goodness!! My Canadian teacher will move to Canada from next semester.... I'm so sad because I think he is a very very good teacher for us. I can't attend his classes if he ever stays in Japan, though. He taught me the differences between Japanese and westerners or other countries' people. I've never considered so deeply about my culture or Japanese characters or habits or something like that. Sometimes it's very tough for me to tell the Japanese culture. I knew I didn't know anything about my culture, although I'm Japanese. I'm so ashamed that I couldn't tell nicely about my culture. How about you? Can you tell clearly about your culture?

There is a proverb, "Toudai moto kurashi" in Japanese, which literally means " It's darkest beneath the lamp." and figuratively means " If you're inside of a group, it's difficult to see reality of the group." I think this proverb exactly expresses my feeling. Although I'm Japanese, I can't tell clearly about my culture. I think my teacher rather knows about Japan and Japanese. It's more easy to see inside from outside.
And, I thought recent Japanese tend to long for westerners too much. We dye our hair, eat fast food and don't wear traditional clothes. That's good for our future?? No, we HAVE TO remind our culture! Some foreigners say why most Japanese songs are written in English and Japanese. I've never thought about it. Surely, it's very strange... Maybe it's related to above.

If I didn't meet him, maybe I've never cosidered like these things. It must be thanks to him!! It must be useful when I go to America.
I'll enjoy his rest classes :-)

I wrote about the anger of my teacher in the last post. After the last class, I went to his class timidly. He still seemed to be angry with us and he never smiled and said jokes as usual. I was a little bit angry with his attitude for us. Why was he still angry!? Maybe we did the bad thing but we regreted and appeared our drive to him! On the way to home, I and my friend complained about his attitude. We were talking if he is like attitude until the end of class, that's amazing. Then next week, amazingly, he recovered usual himself! I wondered why? He started to speak "I'm so happy, you, guys did the good job! You did the forum(It's kind of homework on the net) better than other classes!" Maybe he was happy that we did do the homework?
Anyway, I'm relieved he recovered usual himself! I knew that in his class we have to speak our opinion and shouldn't be quiet. Once I was angry with him but now I like his class. I can say he is really funny and his class is very useful for me ;-)
This job, teacher, is really difficult! They should find the best way to teach students. I don't know the best way, though...

Yey! I have to inform you that I'll go to America for a year! I passed the test and interview in my uni and I can study abroad from this August! Oh, my goodness! Now, I'm really excited and have a little bit anxity. I expect that I can improve my English skill and want to learn about marketing and business. I'll tell you about my Amrican life, too :-)

Today, I had an embarrassing experience. What I was embarrassed is that my English teacher got angry with us for the first time. Why did he get angry? Maybe he was depressed that we didn't do basic things.
Every time, we should do our homework and check it in our class. But today most of us didn't do HW and it took longer to write group answers on the blackboard. I could feel that he was irritated that he couldn't go forward smoothly.
Around the end of class, he suddenly stopped everything and cleared off his desk. Um... immediately I could understand he got angry and we became silent. Then he started speaking with big anger. His body shook... "I got 2 degrees in the graduate schools and I saw the hell. Most Japanese students think they can play around in collge but we don't think so. Maybe Canadian students and Japanese students are different BUT if you don't do basic things, I can't help you. Learning is cool and having knowledge is cool! " he said like these things and had gone. I was impressed with his word "Learning is cool!"
I was surprised and embaressed. I've never scold by English teachers.
Maybe we were bad? I know we were bad not doong our HW. But when he asked us one question, we were thinking the question with silence. Then he stopped suddenly. You know, Japanese tend to think with silence. He didn't like this situation?
Anyway, this experience gave me the lesson, culture difference is difficult! And also, I think if he was a Japanese, he would act like this? I don't think so. He is a Canadian so he directly said to us, I think.
Sadly, since he spoke very fast with anger, I couldn't hear all of what he said... frustrating...